65 Mounts are Essential in Exploration!
The cuteness of the giant foxes aside, the current situation could unfold for the better if I played my cards correctly. The foxes would definitely die at this rate, so by saving them, I could gain some form of goodwill from the two parent foxes and even from the three small ones.
"And for that to happen... take these!" I exclaimed as I threw potions at each of the two parents, letting them heal for a little.
The smaller fox, which had a large needle piercing its body, seemed to be in critical condition, however. I quickly ran to its side and pulled the needle out before pouring two more potions into the wound. I watched as the nanomachines worked, closing the wound in seconds, before finally heaving a sigh of relief.
The parents, after receiving the potion, managed to gain enough strength to fight back once more. However, their intensity was definitely not matching their initial display. "A single potion probably isn't enough to completely heal them."
With how large their bodies were, I think that was the case. Still, as long as they regained the ability to move, that's more than enough.
"From here on, let me handle these bugs!" I declared, rushing forward until I was at the forefront of the battle.
The swarm moved, finding me, a new target, entering the fray. They seemed to be planning to eliminate me first, as they simultaneously fired their needles at me. The sky suddenly got covered by a rain of needles, making my surroundings darker.
I didn't bother to find cover, but instead went and swung my hammer like a bat. The air pressure that was left in its wake was enough to kill the momentum of the needles, letting them fall to the ground uselessly.
Of course, I didn't waste the effort of swinging my hammer and did a 720-degree turn before throwing it straight up in the air. I let go of the handle, letting the hammer fly up. My right arm was tied to the hammer's handle using a normal rope, so as soon as the rope's length was completely used up, I ended up following the hammer up into the sky.
The bees along the way of the hammer turned into a splatter of matter. Soon enough, I was already in their midst, and every direction I looked at was filled with bees. Reflexively, I checked their levels and found that they were each about level 30 to 34, a little lower than the cockroach-like mantises that invaded our world.
'These must be the insects' regular soldiers, I presume, while those that attacked our planet are their elites.' I assumed.
I quickly placed the hammer back into my World Storage while pulling out a different weapon this time. Using my initial assessment of the bee monsters, I can tell that their bodies are softer compared to the mantises, so I can definitely use regular-bladed weapons to inflict damage.
I took out two blades. One is the familiar curved mantis-scythe dagger that I have yet to throw away, while the other is a random knife that I use to process materials. With the two blades on each hand, I started an onslaught in midair.
Of course, just randomly swinging the blades wouldn't be enough. Instead, I used the bees' bodies as a stepping stone and went around slashing the wings and abdomen of whichever monster I passed by.
The method I chose was pretty effective. In under ten seconds, just as I was starting to lose enough targets as footholds, the number of bees I mowed down reached hundreds.
I started falling down.
I watched as the ground approached, biding my time to ensure a safe landing. At the last instant, however, a fluffy white being appeared in my view and caught me in midair on its back.
"You..."
The one who caught me was none other than the level 55 fox! Although I don't really need help to land safely, the unexpected help actually made me smile. After all, it's proof that my plans are coming to fruition.
The fox landed and lowered its body lightly, letting me off gently. I jumped down while feeling a slight reluctance to part with its fluffy white fur, before preparing the two daggers in my hands, ready for battle.
However, beyond my expectations, the bees went and retreated instead of continuing their assault. Based on their numbers, there should still be enough of them to overpower us with numbers. I wonder why they escaped.
When the bees were already far beyond what I could see, I finally heaved a sigh of relief. Right after, I turned to face the two giant foxes and the three little kits, who were a little distance away from me.
"..."
They wouldn't attack me out of nowhere now that the bees are gone... right?
*Kuuu!*
Of the three kits, one came forward and walked towards me. I could see some red stains on its white belly, so I'm sure it was the one that was gravely injured before. As it approached, it then started to rub its head against my chest.
Its actions were cute, as if a big dog were asking for a pat. However, I'm not entirely sure I'm safe to do so. I turned to the two parents, asking for their permission silently. Of course, they didn't respond, as I couldn't really communicate with them. However, the two of them sat on their hinds while starting to lick the fur of the other two kits, completely ignoring me.
'Is this their show of trust in me after I saved them?' I wondered.
Still, I didn't let the chance slip and petted the fluffy-looking head of the white fox. Its fur was soft, like a high-class carpet or something similar. I thoroughly enjoyed the patting session, but soon returned to my senses. I turned to look at the blue panels that I had been ignoring for a while now, using my vacant left hand to navigate them.
"... Levelup notification?"
Apparently, while I was taking down swarms of bees, I gained enough new data to unlock more levels. I reached level 10 in an instant!
First of all, I reassigned my stats to an appropriate place... dumping them all to INT! This shouldn't be too much for now, but soon enough, the stat bonus should amplify it further.
After that, I moved on to the most exciting part. Choosing the next class! "I wonder what classes are available for World Breaker?" I muttered in excitement as I opened the other window.
A list appeared, but far from what I expected, there were only two classes available to choose from. The first sounded offensive, while the other was the complete opposite.
"World Destroyer or World Keeper..." I read the names, trying to figure out which one to choose.
From its name, the destroyer one would probably boost my strength, thereby increasing my damage. However, the latter felt more mysterious. It was vague as to whether it was a support class or not, maybe a crafting class.
"Well, my choice was already fixed from the start." I shrugged as I pressed the one I felt was more fitting for my build.
[
Class Changed successfully! You have upgraded from World Breaker Lv. 10* to World Keeper Lv. 1**
Class Change bonus received. Gaining data from other worlds would add 100% more levels to your quota.
Class Skill Activated: World Scan Lv. 1
Detecting a "Keeper" class activation... Claiming other worlds as your territory is now available.
]
I slowly read the descriptions and was surprised by the information they contained. "So a keeper can claim other worlds?!"
It was an amazing feature, but I fear that I will lose those territories once I rank up. I quickly opened my stats, trying to double-check the previous blessings, but found that the 50% bonus to all crafting skills was still active!
I quickly dumped the newly gained free stats to INT once more, making sure that my mana would grow higher in the future.
[
Name: Giza Mahiro
Level: 1**
Class: World Keeper
Badges: 52 (expand>>)
Titles: 5 (expand>>)
Skills: 7 (expand>>)
Strength: 418 (68+ 350)
Agility: 418 (68+ 350)
Intelligence: 238 (73 + 165)
Wisdom: 151 (23 + 128)
Endurance: 578 (82 + 495)
Luck: 10
Free Stat Points: 0
]
I have already reached over 1.5k overall stats! Although I couldn't feel something like strength overflowing inside my body, I could still tell that my power had increased. With this power, I can definitely fight better than before!
"But still, another general boost? I guess this one's not a crafting class again..."
Although I was thankful that it boosted all my stats equally, I still think that having a single stat focused on would be better. Well, what's done is done anyway.
*Kuuu!*
The soft cry of the little big fox made me return to reality. The fox seemed to have sparkling eyes as it stared at my face and even went as far as licking it. "Hey, stop! It tickles!"
However, no matter how I tried to dissuade it, the little one didn't stop at all. That went on until I could feel that my face had become all sticky from being licked a little too much.
"... That was fun," I muttered as I stared at the sun moving across the sky. "Wait..."
Suddenly, I recalled the promised time for our scouting. I turned to my watch and saw that the 30 minutes were almost over—only three minutes remaining!
"Sorry, little guy, but I gotta go!" I exclaimed as I ran straight to the north, aiming for the red dot in the far distance, the floating balloon marker.
"WOAH!"
And unexpectedly, the big fox bit the back of my shirt as it threw me up, catching me on its back as I fell down. The fox growled a little, not intimidatingly but affectionately, before running straight to where I came from.
"Wait, you're giving me a ride?!"
